Advice on leaving a dog home alone please!

skintandscared_2

Ok, we have a 10 month old lively Jack Russell cross pup. Since he has been with us, my hubby hasn't worked and has been home every day. Hubby now has the possible opportunity of some work (probably very temporary) and he would be out of the house from 8am to 4pm.

I have always worked full time and am out from 7.20am to 6.20pm, Mon-Fri.

I'm seriously worried about our puppy as he's not used to being home alone that long. What can people recommend we do? We can try and source someone to come in and take him out at lunchtime, but I'm worried he's going to get really upset being home alone all morning and afternoon.

Any advice please?!!

Fosterdog

He will need to be checked on at least once preferably twice in that amount time alone, but there are lots of dog walkers around to help with that (make sure they have insurance) or there are more doggy daycare places opening up around the country.

How long until hubby starts the new job? Do you have time to start getting pup used to being left for longer periods?

Ideally if you can set up a webcam you will get a better idea of how he behaves (some dogs barely notice you're not there while others get very stressed). Let any neighbours know that it's the first time your dog is being left and ask them to let you know if he barks at all and if it's just a few barks when you first leave or constant barking the whole time.

skintandscared_2

He's just announced today that he might have work next week!! We need to sort something out very quickly.

gettingready

dog walker...

Ash_McCloud

Try to get him used to spending time at home alone over the weekend.

Do you have a friend nearby, or a neighbour who could let him out?

A KONG stuffed with his food will keep him busy for a while. You could also get him some new toys to occupy him a bit, hide treats around the room you're going to leave him in.

Consider leaving a radio on at low volume so he's not in complete silence.

Try to tire him out the night before and the morning of the days he's going to be left alone, so he'll feel more like sleeping.

If you walk him in a park talk to the other owners and see if the use/can recommend a local dog walker.

Kinski

It might be to late tonight but give your vet a call and see if they know of any local dog walkers, as fosterdog says make sure any walker has insurance and any other certificates ect that they need, you could also ask them for the numbers of a couple of their clients for references.

Person_one

I agree that I'd get a dog walker for a single dog of that age.

What's the longest amount of time pup has been left and how did he cope with that? Dogs don't really understand time in the same way we do, so a dog that is anxious and stressed when alone will be anxious and stressed whether its an hour or 8 hours. A dog that is calmer and not stressed when alone for an hour will be better able to cope with 8.

You need to make being alone rewarding, the humans leaving needs to have an upside. Kongs and stag bars are great, but make sure he only gets it when you're gone. You could feed him his breakfast as you leave, and don't make a big fuss as though something terrible is happening.

Its always better to try and get a dog used to being alone anyway, even if you think they might never need to be. Emergencies and the unforeseen can happen.

lee111s

Even though I work from home, from the very start I've left my dogs along for varying amounts of time to get them used to the fact that being alone is OK. If I'm going to be leaving them for 4-5 hours (max I will leave them) I make sure they get a good walk beforehand. Fortunately I don't have to leave them tht long very often but one must also be able to have a life

krlyr

Kikopup does a good video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGxhcb-itO4

sniffles

If you both have to be out at work then find a new home for him. Would you leave a human baby in an empty house? I do despair with dog owners in 2014. It is cruel and there is no justification for it.

Could you manage in an empty house with nothing going on and no idea if and when it was ever going to end?

No amount of training will make it OK for a dog, even though some might try to justify it.

marlot

sniffles wrote: »

If you both have to be out at work then find a new home for him...

I think it depends on the dog.

When I get up in the morning my dog has her breakfast, then sneaks back to bed for another couple of hours. When we go out she's given a bonio and positively runs to her bed. Absolutely no signs of separation anxiety at all.

I still have a dog walker come in on days I'm working though.